This document discusses how an organization called SIDSA helped vulnerable fishermen families in four villages in India's Sundarbans region improve their livelihoods through sustainable alternatives. SIDSA formed 20 self-help groups with 300 women, providing them skills training and legal awareness. They identified vulnerable families like Bhabani Santra's, who relied on small fishing nets, and gave them loans to purchase new nets or goats, increasing their incomes. Similarly, families like Baharzan Bibi's and Suchitra Maity's, who previously struggled to provide food for their children, received support to start vegetable farming and increase their earnings. SIDSA worked with local government to promote long-term sustainable livelihoods

1. Case Study
Alternate sustainable livelihoods for the vulnerable fishermen family
Country : India
State : West Bengal
District : South 24 Paraganas
Block : Namkhana GP- Mausuni
st
Villages- : Bagdanga, Mausuni 1 Gheri, Kusumtala and Baliara
Mausuni is a community owned island of Sundarban Delta in India. Natural
calamity is one of the characteristics in this region. Most of them are always
fishing in the near by river and living from hand to mouth. With the kind
support of Irish Aid, SIDSA (Society for Integrated Development and Social
Action) started operating in this locality to enrich the livelihoods of the
inhabitants for betterment and sustainability. It initiated work by developing 20
Numbers of Self Help Groups at community level by 300 women. They were
given skill development
training, awareness on Legal
Aid etc. to empower them.
Bhabani Santra is one of them.
She didn’t have any stick to
stand on it. Like her
neighbours of Bagdanga
village her husband used to
give his labour for fishing with
a small net which was bought
by him lending money with
high interest. Her family was
Bhabani Santra, one of SHG members with her fishing suffering from this poor
situation and they didn’t have anyway to educate their two children (one is 10
years of male child and another, 3 years of girl.) SIDSA identified this family
and support them as a stick, so that, they can stand on it. They got support of
Rs. 2000/- (Two Thousand only) to buy a new net for fishing and the family
income is now increased
approximate Rs. 1200/- (Twelve
hundred only). ‘‘It is now just like
the water for our lives to live
…….” Said Sri Dibakar Santra,
husband of Bhabani Santra.
The same is here for Baharzan
Bibi, wife of Sk. Samsuddin of
Mausuni 1st Gheri. She used to
live giving labour in the field of
agriculture and earn only Rs. 50/-
Baharzan Bibi with the Pro. Coordinator Jayanti Sarder- SIDSA
per day in the season of paddy.
Sometimes her husband, Sk. Samsuddin, got some opportunities to go with
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2. the team of fishermen and left for fishing with boats or trawlers. But, their
income was so poor to live. They have six children including a girl child. They
have no land but a little vested place to live. Only the younger child went to
school. They were found by SIDSA and identified as a vulnerable to support.
Baharzan Bibi became a member of Self Help Groups and chose goat rearing
as a path for their development and sustainability. They also got Rs. 2000/-
(Two thousand only) and bought five numbers of goats. Now, their income is
increased day by day and they are happy.
There are the same situations in
the family of Suchitra Maity of
Bagdanga village and Subedan
Bibi of Mausuni 1st Gheri. They
were in the same state of
vulnerable livelihoods. Their
husbands, Monoranjan Maity
and Rezaul SK, were also in the
same professions of fishing like
their neighbours. They had no
way to increase their family
Suchitra Maity with Jayanti Sardar, PC of SIDSA
income as their earnings were
too little to live. Sometimes, their
children ( One is male of 19 yrs. of Suchitra Maity and other three children
including one youngest female child of 6 yrs of Subedan Bibi) of used to go to
school without any tiffin and breakfast. SIDSA identified their families and
gave them support with the same,
so that, they could increase their
incomes with any business
according to their choices. They
chose to cultivate vegetable
crops. Suchitra Maity is
cultivating crops only in their 33
dec. land out of their 8 dec. land
of house and Subedan Bibi took a
land of 8 dec. by lease for
cultivating the same, as she lives
with her family at a little vested
land. SHG members with Jayanti Sardar, PC of SIDSA
Cluster development in these four villages of Mausuni Island of Sundarban
was perceived as an approach to support SHGs formed by SIDSA. In this
regard SIDSA established an institutional relationship with the local Gram
Panchayet and Block Development office to promote sustainability of
livelihoods.
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